JohnAndersonJr. (1935 - 2014)

John William "Skip" Anderson Jr., died after an extended illness on the 5th of July 2014 in McMinnville, Oregon. He was born on the 27th of February 1935 in San Francisco, California to John W. Sr. and Clair (Jurian) Anderson.

He was raised in a military family and spent most of his youth in the Panama Canal Zone, where his father, "the old man", worked as a Naval Captain, navigating ships through the canal before, during and after World War II. John W. Jr. was affectionately known during his youth, as "The Little Skipper", which matured into "Skip", years later.

Not long after the War, he and his family moved back to the Bay Area where he attended and graduated from Mountain View High School. He then attended the University of San Francisco.

During his high school and college years, Skip was an accomplished athlete lettering in football, basketball and baseball. He considered pursuing a professional baseball career but, ultimately decided to follow in his "old man's" footsteps by joining the Navy. While in the Navy, he traveled extensively, experiencing many cultures both during and following the Korean War.

Upon his military discharge, he pursued a career in law enforcement with the Los Altos Police Department, and eventually working for the Los Angeles Police Department. During his early years as a police officer, Skip would frequent a certain IHOP restaurant, where he met and later married a waitress named, Jean Bromley. The two fell in love and ended up moving to Southern California. Over the subsequent years, their family grew to eight children. As the family grew, so did the frequent family trips to Disneyland, the many pool parties, and baseball games at the "Big A" in Anaheim, where he worked as a Security Official. In 1976 the family would move to Oregon where they would settle, and embrace the Pacific Northwest as home.

Skip would spin many a tall tale during the nightly ritual of bathing his boys at night. His yarns recounted how giant squids attacked his submarine while patrolling off the shores of North Korea during the Korean War, a giant spider who lived in the kitchen of his Panamanian house, and many other anecdotes about his youth while growing up in the jungles of Panama.

Skip had a great passion for his children and seeing them all grow and succeed in life. He had a love of sports and found great joy from coaching and watching sports with his boys. He would get so excited and animated while watching the televised sporting events that you would feel as if you were watching them at the ballpark or stadium. When he was recently asked what his greatest joy in life was, he said without hesitation, "being a father to my kids." He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Salem, Oregon. As Skip grew older, so did his faith and relationship with his Lord. He was a strong believer in the power of prayer and had no doubts about his Savior and his place in heaven being prepared for him.

He is survived by his sons, John William III (Perla) of Cancun, Mexico; Erik (Olga) Wiesbaden, Germany; Michael (Loree) of Burien, Washington; Jason (Kristi) of Medford, Oregon; Matthew (Marie) of Bothell, Washington; Andrew (Lisa) of McMinnville, Oregon. He is also survived by ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He is predeceased by two daughters, Donagene M. Jaeger, and Dawn I. Case, and two sisters, Betty Hooper and Pat Holman.

A memorial celebration will be held Sunday the 10th of August 2014, at 3:00 PM at Chapel of Macy and Son, McMinnville, OR. The Anderson family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Ken Schmidt and the caring and compassionate staff both at, Oakwood Country Place Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in McMinnville, and Meadow Creek Assisted Living Facility in Salem. To view a Life Tribute Presentation or to leave online condolences, please visit www.macyandson.com.